Reviews

These boots are definitely defective. I am a hiker…

These boots are definitely defective. I am a hiker with 30 years experience and have never ever owned a boot that fell apart, soles delaminating, so suddenly and dramatically on the trail.

I was backpacking with a fairly light load of 20 lbs in light rain wearing 3-year-old Asolos. They had no noticeable tread wear and the uppers were still in beautiful condition with no cuts. 7 miles in, the right sole detached, both front and rear, only the glue in the middle intact. Used nylon cord from my emergency pack to tie sole to boot.

Had been sloshing thru some mud, but come on... Finished hike next day, another 8 mi and just short of trailhead saw toe of left boot beginning delamination process.

Bought these boots to replace previous Asolos that never failed in 10 years. — in fact there was nothing wrong with them, I just thought for safety's sake 10-year boots should be replaced. There's an accident waiting to happen here, and someone may get hurt.

I bought my boots two years before I took them out…

I bought my boots two years before I took them out of the box and wore them for the very first time. The soles of both boots disintegrated within less than a quarter mile of walking on pavement.

Pros

None whatsoever

Cons

Extremely poor workmanship

Extremely poor customer service (they don't stand by their product)

When I contacted Asolo their sentiment was pretty much "oh well, buy another pair."

I feel better seeing the other reviews of the exact same problem (misery loves company I guess), but I'm absolutely disgusted. I heard good things about Asolo, but never again will I get suckered by them.

I loved these boots in terms of comfort and looks. I paid a lot of money for them and I too had the sole just disintegrate hiking in Utah on a vacation. I was so disappointed. Tried repairing them but the rest of the sole on both boots started falling apart.

I loved these boots in all other ways and can't find any I loved as much. Such a disappointment and from a company one thought could be trusted. I am frustrated.

vote up

0

vote down

Like many of the other reviews, after a few years…

Like many of the other reviews, after a few years of light hiking, the uppers and tread are in good shape but the section of the sole that connects to the boot is disintegrating. They have been stored in a conditioned closet and have less than 200 miles on them.

I have had countless hiking boots over the last 30 years and none have fallen apart in such a manner. My wife's pair have even fewer miles and are suffering the same fate. I would not buy another pair of Asolo boots.

vote up

0

vote down

An excellent boot at first blush, very comfortable…

Unfortunately, my experience is similar to that reported by other reviewers: after light use over the past several years, the rubber binding that attaches the sole to the boot is crumbling into pieces and the sole is delaminating from the leather upper.

This is not due to normal wear and tear, but is definitely a material defect in the boot which should be addressed by Asolo as this has never happened to any of our boots from Vasque, Merrell, Fabiano, etc.

vote up

0

vote down

I bought this pair of boots as a backup to my regular…

I bought this pair of boots as a backup to my regular boots several years ago. They have been stored in a climate controlled environment, and received very little use (10-20 miles of walking). I had previously been a big Asolo fan, as their fit for my feet was great. No More.

I took them out last weekend to do some hiking, and discovered the soles are completely disintegrating. I contacted Asolo, and the most they will do for me is a 20% off coupon for a new pair of Asolos. They are claiming the disintegration is normal in an old boot, whether I have used it or not. The strange thing is that I have several other boots stored exactly the same way I have kept the Asolo 530s. These boots, many of which are older, and some of which are other Asolo models, seem fine on inspection. No disintegration. No dry rot.

I think something bad happened in the manufacturing process of my particular batch. This would be no big deal to me if Asolo would stand firmly behind their product, but they have not. Therefore, I will never buy another product associated with Asolo, coupon or not. good luck to you, Asolo, in the current world wide recession. You've lost my business forever.

vote up

0

vote down

I've had my Asolo AFX 530s for several years and have…

I've had my Asolo AFX 530s for several years and have used them lightly over that time. They have been stored in my closet when not in use.

They appeared like new before last week when I decided to hike part of the AT in North Georgia...alone except for my dog. When I was approximately 4 miles out I felt the sole of one boot catching as I walked. When I looked down I was shocked to find it had seperated from the toe to the ball of my foot. In less than a mile it had come completely off and the other was showing similar signs of blow-out. It too came off within a half mile. The shock absorbing rubber between the upper leather and bottom sole had crumbled. When I returned to my truck both had holes in the toes and gravel was entering through the first one that failed.

This is truly a situation others should be forewarned about. Had this have happened further out while carrying a backpack in bad weather...it would have been disastrous. I saved the boots and one sole for evidence in approaching Asolo. I have emailed them about the incident and have not even gotten back a reply. I'm considering a class action suit against the company due to negligence to forewarn of this potential life threating situation. This is truly a serious matter needing to be communicated and anyone including a Court Judge would have to agree that a product recall is in order.

vote up

0

vote down

"Useless" -- That's how they are now, both mine and…

Rating:Materials: Leather. Sole is ... peat moss ?????Use: Short walks to the trash pileBreak-in Period: Only one month until they're truly brokenWeight: What's the weight of an albatross?Price Paid: Too much

"Useless" -- That's how they are now, both mine and my wife's. The soles just rotted away. My wife's pair was never worn, and the soles rotted in the box!! The boot is cut too wide, so the foot slips all over the place inside the boot. Never had that problem with any others. I'll stick with my old Sherman-tank Yukons until Asolo can prove itself to me again with a new design that is built for true enthusiasts.

vote up

0

vote down

Soles delaminated after only a few years of fairly…

Soles delaminated after only a few years of fairly light use, a/c storage, and regular pampering. Much older Vasque Sundowners stored next to the Asolos are going strong. Asolo has no repair facility, and the best they can offer is a discount on another pair of boots that would presumably also fall apart. I'm going to cut my losses and buy another brand.

vote up

0

vote down

I brought these boots a couple of years ago and they…

I brought these boots a couple of years ago and they have seen very light usage. Since these were my first good pair of hikers I always took a wet towel to wipe them down and applied silicon from time to time. They have been stored inside the original box on the bottom of a dry closet. After my return from a recent trip in Massachusetts I noticed that the entire rubber sole section has separated in both the front and back.

It seems as if the material (rubber?) has disintegrated. I am going to send these boots back to Asolo within the next couple of days. Considering the fact that I’ve only wore them on a dozen light hikes, and only two rough ones (in New Mexico) I think they should be replaced with hopefully a better model. This seems to be a design flaw as I’ve read other posts about this problem. Don’t buy them!

vote up

0

vote down

These boots looked great when I bought them...the…

These boots looked great when I bought them...the uppers still do. But the soles have come unbonded from the leather uppers. After three years the bonding agent has crumbled to dust and the shoe shop can't reglue them because the midsole just disintegrates. I will buy a sewn on sole next time.

vote up

0

vote down

I bought my pair of Asolo boots after I bought a pair…

I bought my pair of Asolo boots after I bought a pair of Vasque Clarions that leaked. I have been wearing the Asolos for about four and a half years. I did mostly hiking in them. But I also did some heavy backpacking in them and even some light mountaineering. I have to say they weren't made for mountaineering or backpacking. The sole doesn't have enough traction for snow and they don't have a stiff enough midsole.

They turned out to be extremely durable. The sole wore out after four years and the leather has become too soft to warrant a resole, but after the way I mistreated them I can't complain. If you're looking for a boot that you can be comfortable doing dayhikes and light backpacking they are great since they are very comfortable and have very little break-in time needed.

vote up

0

vote down

I had the worst time trying to break these boots in.

I had the worst time trying to break these boots in. I can remember trying to loosten up the leather by jumping in a fountain while hiking downtown Sydney, Australia. They seemed like a good fit in the store! As soon as I hiked an ample amount while carrying a lightweight pack, they started to cut off the toe space and give me blisters galore!

I've really worn these boots alot now that I think they finally broke in. There is a seam rip in the top of the right boot. I put several coats of Biwell on them before spending time in the rain forest. The soles are starting to peel away from the leather now. It might be time for a trip back to the boot store and I don't think I'll be checking out the Asolo section. Sorry Asolo. :-(

vote up

0

vote down

I had a pair of these boots for about a year and a…

I had a pair of these boots for about a year and a half and loved them. Unfortunately, they began to come apart. The seam that holds the top piece of leather (where the shoelace eyelets are) to the rest of the boot came apart.

Not being a heavy backpacker (one or two times in the last year) I was pretty disappointed. So, I sent them back to Asolo with a letter describing this, and they just sent me a new pair of Gore-Tex 520s. So, I will soon be posting a review of the 520s

My first impression was very positive! Very comfortable;…

My first impression was very positive! Very comfortable; no break-in period to speak of; light and supportive.

Two problems: the foam footbed that came with the shoe was useless! And worse! During one hike (coming down a mountain), they started to scrunch up. I got some nasty blisters despite stopping to fix them a few times. Second, the sole on mine were not Vibram. They are some in-house rubber brand and are definitely not as sure-footed on wet rocks, etc. Also, the lugs are shallow, and the boot proved useless in spring snow. I just slipped and slided all over the place!

I applied Biwell waterproofing and that worked very well! My feet stayed totally dry; but, I would recommend reapplying the stuff almost every time they might get wet.

I would recommend them highly (as long as you don't mind buying new footbeds) for non-snow hiking!

Comfortable and soft -- both leather and soles. Sticky…

Comfortable and soft -- both leather and soles. Sticky rubber makes great smearing on rocks! After a year or so they started to fall apart -- seams blown, leaking water, sole worn out... I did use them to do a lot of walking on moraine rocky places. They are made for soft trails I guess.

vote up

0

vote down

They are the best boots I have ever had. I have an…

They are the best boots I have ever had. I have an extremely narrow foot, and I have had to cinch the laces down very tight but they are still a little loose. I am thinking about getting some Scarpa Deltas; if have any info on it it would be greatly appreciated.

Regardless of what you may hear elsewhere about blown…

Regardless of what you may hear elsewhere about blown toes, I have been wearing my 530s for almost a year now, nonstop, with no problems at all. They spent three months trekking in Thailand, India, and Nepal as my only shoes, hot, dusty backpacking trips through South Texas, and they take me to work and back.

These boots are awesome! For the money, I don't think you can go wrong.

vote up

0

vote down

Although a good boot for moderate activity I found…

Although a good boot for moderate activity I found the leather too soft to hold up. The boot began to sag around the ankles after only a year, although I was VERY hard on them. A good all-around inexpensive waterproof boot.

vote up

0

vote down

You can probably guess I hate these boots. Avoid them…

October 7, 1996

an anonymous hiker (guest)

Rating:Materials: Leather trashUse: shoppingBreak-in Period: You mean broke downWeight: about as much as trash usually weighsPrice Paid: $150 too much

You can probably guess I hate these boots. Avoid them at all costs. I had a pair for four weeks before the toes blew out. My friend had his 530's for six before his did. Then they came out with the 535's so my other friend got them. They lasted him seven weeks before his toes came apart too. So we spent the money on Scarpa SL's. It has been three months with no problems. Heaven. Say no to Asolo. Yes to Scarpa